A Brief History of the Gatling Gun Detachment

Vth Army Corps

By Patrick McSherry

The Vth Army Corp's Gatling Gun
Detachment, was generally known as "Parker's Gatling Gun Detachment." The
unit, unique in its origin and operation, saw action at the Battle of San
Juan Hill, and was made famous by Theodore Roosevelt's
comments during the battle.

John H. Parker of Missouri was a 1st Lt. in the 13th U.S. Infantry
when he came up with the proposal for the Gatling Gun Detachment. Parker
was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was promoted
to 2nd Lt. on June 11, 1892.

The Unit History

Lt. John Parker proposed the idea of a Gatling Gun Detachment to
be used as a mobile force able to provide strong cover fire where needed,
especially at closer ranges than at which artillery fire could be employed.
Parker wrote up a proposal of his idea as the invasion forces were arriving
rendezvousing at Tampa Bay, Florida. Since the idea was experimental, and
since it was unclear who would be commanding the invasion force, Parker
submitted his proposal to a number of offiicials. It was met with interest
by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. Eventually, the
unit was instituted as a company that would report to the commander of
the Vth Corps,
Maj. Gen.
William Shafter. The detachment was to be formed from specially chosen
members of regular army units and would have four Gatling
guns.

As the invasion neared, the few members of the detachment that had
been assembled were placed in charged of the Ordnance Depot at Tampa Bay.
While they were present, a fire erupted that threatened to destroy the
powder-laden depot. Quick action on the part of members of the detachment
saved the building and its ordnance stores from destruction.When the commotion
began surrounding the assignment of the various military units to the limited
space on the army transports, Parker had the
detachment assigned to accompany a shipment of ammunition being taken aboard
the transport CHEROKEE as its guard.
Using this ploy the detachment found its way inot the invasion force. Still,
however, the detachment was only partially formed, though, as the force
waited aboard CHEROKEE, all of
the men arrived except those expected from the 13th U.S. Infantry. The
Gatling Gun Detachment was officially formed, but not yet formally mustered,
aboard the transport. Also, the Detachment still had not been supplied
with horses for moving the guns up to this time.

On the arrival in Cuba, the other troops
on CHEROKEE - the 17th U.S. Infantry,
and a battalion of the 12th U.S. Infantry - were landed, but the Gatling
Gun Detachment was unable to obtain the watercraft necessary to get the
Gatling
guns and ammunition ashore. Part of the problem arose in that Lt. Parker
did not have a high enough rank to order and countermand negative orders
concerning the guns' removal. Notified of the problem,
Maj.
Gen. Shafter stepped in and ordered the guns landed. Mules, not horses,
were obtained for moving the guns at Daiquiri, where the force landed.

From Daiquiri, the Gatling Gun Detachment moved overland to Siboney,
the Vth Corps' second landing point. It was
at Siboney, that all but one of the men of the 13th U.S. Infantry finally
joined the unit. From Siboney, it marched to Gen.
Wheeler's advanced headquarters. Finally, on June 30, while in the
field near Wheeler's headquarters the Gatling
Gun Detachment was officially mustered into service.

The Gatling Gun Detachment was ordered to advance to El Poso, a hill
upon which "Grimes Battery," Battery A, 2nd
U.S. Artillery was to be placed to begin what would become known as
the "Battle of San Juan Hill." The detachment was to provide close support
cover fire for the artillery until the infantry advanced far enough beyond
the artillery that the guns would be safe from immediate attack. Once the
artillery was secured, Parker's Detachment was ordered to the rear. While
in its new position, the men of the 13th U.S. Infantry passed the detachment
and cast dispersions on the experimental unit indicating that they did
not expect it would see combat, etc. The detachment next found itself ordered
to go into battle with the 71st New York Volunteer Infantry, and if that
failed, to find its way to the front. After waiting with the 71st New York,
and finding that it was not advancing, the detachment, with the cheers
of the New York regiment, took off on its own for the front without specific
orders. Here, it met Col. Derby, one of the observers on the ill-fated
observation balloon. He advised the detachment to hold back until the infantry
became engaged and then he would notify the deatchment about where it should
move. After the detachment waitied for some time, Lt. Miley of Maj.
Gen. Shafter's staff arrived. He asked that one gun (Sgt. Weigle's)
accompany him, and ordered the other three to advance and join with the
dynamite
gun, another experimental weapon.

The detachment advanced, but found the dynamite
gun bogged down at the Aquadores River ford with a
jammed shell. Leaving the dynamite gun behind,
Parker's men advanced across the San Juan River ford and into area just
beyond. Here the guns deployed with the gun on the right, under Sgt. Green,
deployed on the road. Facing them, 600 yards away was the San Juan Hill
blockhouse and its surrounding trenches. Eight hundred yards away was another
ridge with entrenchments. Being exposed, the men soon came under attack.
Private Sine was killed with a bullet through the heart. Private Kastner
was severely wounded with a bullet to the head and neck. Some of the Detachment’s
men were lost to sunstroke in the advance. Therefore, as the action began,
Green’s gun was operated by he and Doyle alone. Steigerwald’s gun was operated
only by Steigerwald and one other man.

Soon other troops came to the support of the Gatling Gun Detachment.
Pvt. Van Vaningham, separated from his own 6th U.S. Cavalry, offered to
carry ammunition. Pvt. Burley offered to relieve Pvt. Merryman who was
holding the detachment's mules as Merryman was being detailed to aid with
the wounded.. Capt. Landis of the 1st U.S. Cavalry
arrived and offered to help spot the fall of the guns’ fire. The 10th
U.S. Cavalry also deployed two companies in support of Parker’s men.

The heavy action continued. In the hail of Spanish return fire, three
more men were injured and one of the mules was hit twice. Suddenly, the
line of infantry began to advance, as the charge on the San Juan Heights
had begun. The Gatling guns continued to be fired
until the American line had nearly reached the summit, when they had to
stop to avoid causing friendly fire injuries.

In the action, Pvts. Greenberg, Elkins and Dellett had gone down
from the heat. Pvt. Lauer was missing. Pvt. Chase sprained his ankle so
badly he was even unable to even ride a horse. Sgt. Green was slightly
wounded in the foot. Pvt. Bremer was still suffering from a wound from
a shell fragment earlier in the day. To help make up for these loses. Pvt.
Burkley and Pvt. Cornell both volunteered as drivers. Pvt. Raymond of the
6th U.S. Cavalry also volunteered to serve with the detachment.

After the summit was taken, two of the guns were advanced up the
ridge, while Sgt. Ryder’s gun, which had been damaged, was repaired. On
the ridge, the two guns were ordered to go to the aid of Roosevelt’s
men.
Instead, from their present position, the
Gatling
guns opened on the troops in Roosevelt’s front.
At this point Sgt. Green’s gun suffered damage from a bullet lodged in
one of the barrels. As it was pulled out of the line, Sgt. Ryder’s gun,
now repaired, took its place. Spanish artillery opened on the pair of guns
at a range or 2,000 yards. The Gatlings responded,
silencing the battery. More men joined in suooprting the guns. Sgt.
Graham, Pvt. Smith and Pvt. Taylor of Troop E, 10th
U.S. Cavalry were detailed to help carry ammunition to feed the guns.
These men would remain with the detachment until July 17.

Sgt. Weigle's, gun which had been detached by Lt. Miley before the
action began was now brought up to the Rough Riders'
position. Throughout the engagement, this gun was not in action, and Weigle
was extremely upset by not being given the opportunity. He now opened on
the Spanish with a vengeance.

On July 2 and 3, the Gatling Gun Detachment was placed behind the
Rough
Riders' "Fort Roosevelt" in reserve. On the 4th, the three operational
guns were moved forward into the battle line. Their wheels were removed
and the guns were placed in breastworks. The fourth gun , under the command
of Sgt. Weischaar and Sgt. Ryder, was repaired and placed in reserve behind
the others on July 4. However, it was shortly moved to Fort Canosa and
was was used to fire 6,000 to 7,000 rounds into the city of Santiago to
help force a surrender

On July 2, Sgt. William Tiffany, Cpl. Stevens and six other Rough
Riders reported to Lt. Parker, on orders from Roosevelt.
They brought the Rough Riders' two Colt
automatic rifles to join the detachment. Sgt. Burrowe of the Rough
Riders soon joined Parker with the regiment's dynamite
gun. The odd assortment now under Parker's command participated in
actions on July 11. The Rough Riders themselves
had been relocated to a position on the El Caney Road, and one of the Gatlings
had been sent with them, being returned on July 17.

On July 17, the news of the surrender of the Spanish forces flashed
across the ridges. The men of the detachment stood on the ridge and removed
their hats in silent salute to the Spanish defenders. Shortly, men from
both sides - Spanish and American - met in the land in front of the trenches
and exchanged items of food, drink and souvenirs.

In the days after the surrender, as disease began to rage, the Gatling
Gun Detachment found itself beside the 34th Michigan
Volunteer Infantry. The 34th did not have
the training of the U.S. regulars, and apparently did not understand fully
the need for camp sanitation. The lack of covering of latrine trenches
and similar problems forced parker to action file a request for inspection,
forcing the problem to be cleaned up. Still, the conditions may have been
a major contributor to disease in the 34th' camp.

On August 15, the detachment boarded the transport LEONA,
arriving at Camp Wikoff at Long Island, New
York on August 23, 1898. On September 5, the detachment was disbanded and
the men returned to their original regiments.

Parker, John Henry, History of the Gatling Gun Detachment.
(Bibliobazaar, 2006).

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